Moldova's government has set aside MDL 170 million this year for vocational training, retraining and hiring subsidies, up from MDL 36 million last year. The money comes after manufacturing lost almost a third of its workforce in two years, and as companies say they cannot find qualified people.

The figures were presented on 21 October 2026 at a meeting of Working Group No. 6 on labour market development, part of the Economic Council to the Prime Minister. On the table was the future National Employment Programme for 2027-2030, a document still being drafted. Here is what was said, what the data show and what it all means for you, whether you are an employee, a job-seeker or an employer.

What the government and business discussed

The meeting was chaired by Sergiu Harea, head of Working Group No. 6 and president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Moldova (CCI). The government was represented by Natalia Plugaru, Minister of Labour and Social Protection. Harea opened with the problem companies have been raising for years:

"The shortage of skilled labour remains one of the most important constraints for business. That is why it is essential that companies' positions and employers' real needs are reflected in the National Employment Programme 2027-2030 from the drafting stage."

The ministry answered with numbers. According to the minister, the budget for active labour market measures (training, retraining, subsidies and other tools that encourage hiring) rose from MDL 36 million last year to MDL 170 million this year, nearly five times more. A further increase, to around MDL 200 million, is expected next year.

The stated target is for around 25,000 people a year to be formally employed on a written employment contract. So far in 2026, about 18,000 people have already been placed. The agenda also covered dual vocational education and apprenticeships, the hiring of foreign workers, and bringing young people, economically inactive people and people with disabilities into the labour market.

The minister also called for closer cooperation with the State Labour Inspectorate (ISM) to tackle undeclared work and partially declared ("envelope") wages. Her message to employers was direct: "This is a signal from the government that we are ready and interested in investing in the domestic workforce. First of all, we need to activate inactive people and invest in the quality of the workforce."

The labour market in numbers: more people employed, fewer in factories

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (BNS) for Q2 2026, cited at the meeting, show an improvement: the employment rate rose to 45.0% from 42.6% in the first quarter, while the unemployment rate fell to 7.3% from 10.4%. At the end of Q2 there were about 31,900 job vacancies.

The picture gets more complicated in manufacturing. The number of people working in the sector fell from 108,400 in 2023 to 74,900 in 2025. That is 33,500 fewer workers in just two years, roughly 31% of the original headcount.

How can tens of thousands of jobs go unfilled in a country with an employment rate of only 45%? The Ministry of Labour lists several causes: high inactivity, the gap between opportunities in Chișinău and those in rural areas, labour migration and informal work. In short, the people exist, but many have either left the country, are outside the formal market, or live far from where the hiring is.

The 2027-2030 programme aims to increase formal employment, improve job quality and reduce exclusion from the labour market. The document is also part of the Republic of Moldova's EU accession process.

For employees and job-seekers: what it means for you

If you are looking for work or have been out of the labour market for a while, the bigger budget means a better chance of having a training or retraining course paid for. The ministry's stated priority is activating inactive people, so those who neither work nor actively look for a job are precisely the target audience for these programmes.

There is a less comfortable side too. If the state succeeds in bringing several thousand people a year back into the market, competition for some jobs, especially entry-level and industrial roles, will increase. Those with up-to-date qualifications will have an edge.

A few steps you can take now:

• Ask the National Employment Agency (ANOFM) which training and retraining programmes are available in your district (raion). The budget has grown, so the offer should be wider too.

• Look at apprenticeships and dual education if you are just starting out. Both were discussed as solutions to the skilled labour shortage.

• Check that the salary in your contract matches what you actually receive. Undeclared work and partially declared wages are on the ISM's priority list, and an accurate payslip protects your rights.

• Compare employers before you apply. Read reviews from people who have worked there and check whether the offer lives up to its promises.

For employers and HR: a bigger budget and a short window to shape it

For companies struggling to find staff, hiring subsidies and retraining funding are becoming real recruitment tools. An inactive candidate with no recent experience can become a productive employee faster if part of their training cost is covered by public money.

Here is where to look:

• The proposal deadline. Working group members can submit written proposals until 27 October 2026, which is today. If your company is a CCI member, this is the channel through which your needs can make it into the programme text. After this stage, the document is due to go to public consultation.

• Target groups. Young people, inactive people and people with disabilities are explicitly targeted. Companies that adapt their recruitment process for these groups will reach people many employers have not yet considered.

• Apprenticeships and dual education. For technical trades in industry, training your own people is becoming an alternative to hunting for ready-made talent, which is increasingly hard to find.

• Compliance. The announced cooperation with the ISM means closer scrutiny of undeclared work and partially declared wages. A transparent pay structure is a matter of risk, not just reputation.

Subsidies alone will not solve the problem. Natalia Plugaru set out an expectation that applies to both sides: "We need a labour market in which people find jobs that match their skills, with decent pay and conditions, and employers can find the staff they need." Companies that offer clear salary ranges and verifiable conditions will have an advantage over those relying solely on state support.

Conclusion: the money is there, the question is how it reaches people

The rise from MDL 36 million to MDL 170 million, with MDL 200 million in prospect next year, shows the government wants to win back the domestic workforce. The target of 25,000 formal hires a year looks within reach, with 18,000 already achieved by October. What remains to be seen is how far the programme will succeed in getting people to where they are needed, including the manufacturing sector that has lost tens of thousands of workers.

If you are employed or looking for a job, find out which courses are available and check what your contract says. If you are an employer, send your proposals through the CCI as soon as possible, follow the public consultations and factor the subsidies into your 2027 hiring plan.